Skirt-braid.



N0 MODEL.-

J. W. SCHLOSS.

SKIRT BRAID.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1903.

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PATBNTED APR. 26, 1904.

Patented April 2e, 1904.@

JOSEPH W. SCHLOSS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SKIRT-BRAID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,564, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed May 5, 1903. Serial No. 155,755. (No specimens.)

I To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. SCHLOSS, a citizen of the United States, residing'at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful AImprovements in Skirt- Braids, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to skirt-braids intended to be applied to the lower edges of skirts to 'save the skirt from contact with the ground. Braids commonly used for this purpose are of a uniform thickness throughout and usually thin to avoid giving weight or a clumsy appearance to the skirt; but the thin braid wears and frays out quickly. So vit has been proposed to double or fold over the edge that takes the wear or to'bind in a filling cord or bead to give more body to this part of the braid. Such devices are, however, expensive and have other recognized disadvantages Vand defects. It is not practicable to make the braid thick throughout, for while it would thus withstand the wear it would be too heavy at the edge which is to be attached to the skirt and, furthermore, would contain useless material.

In accordance with my invention I construct the braid with a graduated thickness from one edge to the other, thereby producinga braid of the ordinary thickness along one edge, which is adapted to be sewed to the skirt, and with a reinforcement at the opposite edge adapted to take the wear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of my improved skirt-braid. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof; and Fig. 3 is a portion of the lower part of a skirt, showing the method of applying the `braid thereto.

The braid illustrated has three sections or longitudinal stripes c, and c, all simultaneously formed or braided at the same time in an ordinary braiding-machine. In'order to make one section thicker or heavier than another, I use a greater number of threads' or ends on the spools, which form the thicker sections. The same thing can be accomplished is thickest, being made, for instance, with three ends. The next section or stripe b is a little thinner, being made with two ends, and the third section cis the thinnest, being made with one end. A braid made in this way 5 5 comes out of the machine in a curved shape,

the thick edge being on the convex side of the curve. This shape is advantageous in that it conforms to the shape of the edge of the dress-skirt to which it is applied and to a certain extent'helps to give a flare to the skirt. The braid is sewed or faced on the lower edge of the skirt by attaching the thin edge thereto by stitches in the ordinary manner. The thickedge is presented downward to take the wear.

It is obvious that if the braid were made of the greatest thickness throughout all the advantages of a good wearing braid would be obtained; but as the braid would then be very clumsy and heavy it would not set well upon the bottom of the skirt, the portion through which the stitching passes being so thick as to throw the skirt out of shape. With my improved braid the edge that carries the stitching thins down tothe surface of the goods against which it is placed and does not injure the appearance in any way.

I am aware that skirt-braids have been folded or hemmed along one edge to produce a double thickness to take the wear; but my' improved braid is not folded or hemmed at .all and is ready to be applied to the dress as soon as it comes from the braiding-machine. Obviously the number of stripes or sections into which the braid is graduated is not important to my invention. I may use two, three, four, or more. It is furthermore observed that for the purposes of askirt binding or protector itis essential that the threads of the fabric occupy the oblique arrangement afforded by a braiding process, so that when the article is applied to the skirt it will yield laterally, one edge contracting and the other expanding, as required, to avoid wrinkling or folding. For this reason apwoven article having warp and weft threads at right angles to each other would not serve for a binding or protecting strip unless it were cut bias, and a bias woven strip could not be made of graduated thickness from edge to edge.

IOO

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. An article of manufacture, consisting of a skirt facing or protector comprising a fabric' formed of a plurality of sections or stripes integrally connected together and arranged in succession from edge to edge of the fabric, said sections or stripes being of successivelygraduated thicknesses and the threads of the Whole structure being braided together and thereby obliquely arranged therein to permit of distortion Without folding or Wrinkling when applied to the skirt.

2. A skirt-braid having a number of longitudinal stripes or sections integrally formed with one another and being of successivelydifferent thicknesses, said braid having a continuous curvature throughout its length, substantially as described.

3. A skirt-braid having a number of longitudinal stripes or sections integrally formed With one another and being of successively-increasing thicknesses, said braid having a continuous curvature throughout its length, the thickest portion being along the convex edge.

In Witness whereof l subscribe my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

J OS. W. SCHLOSS.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. OBER, WALDo M. CHAPIN. 

